Firewood typically isn't sold per log. Rather, businesses sell it using other, more widely accepted units of measurements, such as cord or rick. Unless your familiar with firewood terminology, you may assume that a cord is the same as a rick, but this isn't necessarily true. While often used interchangeably when referring to firewood, a cord is a different amount of firewood than a rick.
How Much Is a Cord?
A true, full cord of firewood is a stack of firewood measuring 8 feet wide, 4 feet tall and 4 feet deep. The total volume of a cord is 128 cubic feet. It's called a "cord" because lumberjacks in the 17th century would harvest and store firewood in these same stacks, using cords of rope to secure them in place. The term has since withstood the hands of time, with regions throughout continuing to use cord as the universal standard of measurement for firewood.
If you're firewood for sale, keep in mind that a cord is a lot of wood. Even if you drive a pickup truck, it may take you two or three trips to transport it all. Nonetheless, many people buy firewood in cords so that they'll have plenty extra on hand. A cord of firewood can easily last several months when used as a winter heating fuel in a fireplace.
How Much Is a Rick?
While still a plentiful amount, a rick of firewood is smaller than a full cord. Rick actually refers to the same amount of firewood as a face cord. Sound confusing? Think of it like this: There are different types of cords, including full cords, face cords and half cords. We already discussed full cords, which consist of an 8-foot wide, 4-foot tall and 4-foot deep stack of wood. However, a face cord -- the same amount as a rick -- consists of an 8-foot wide, 4-foot tall and 16- to 18-inch deep stack.
A rick or face cord of firewood is the same height and width as a full cord. The difference is that a full cord measures 4 feet deep, whereas a rick or face cord measures 16 to 18 inches deep.
Why Is a Rick of Firewood Is 16 to 18 Inches Deep?
You might be wondering why a rick or face cord of firewood is 16 to 18 inches deep instead of 4 feet like a face cord. Well, there's actually no specific depth measurement for a rick or face cord of firewood. The depth is simply the length of the logs. Because firewood logs are most commonly cut 16 to 18 inches long, this is the universally accepted depth for a rick or face cord.
Why Is It Called a Rick of Firewood?
We know that a cord of firewood is called a "cord" because lumberjacks used ropes to secure the wood logs in these same-sized stacks. However, origins of the "rick" measurement are a little more murky. The most plausible theory is that businesses and individual sellers wanted a different term for face cord because so many people confused it with full cord. People often buy a face cord, believing it's the same as a full cord. As revealed here, though, it's actually quite smaller -- about two-thirds smaller than a full cord. To help buyers differentiate between the two, some business or individual seller began referring to face cords as ricks. The term then spread to other sellers has since become a widely used measurement of firewood.
Rick isn't used as frequently as face cord when referring to firewood, but some sellers do use it. Other alternative terms used to describe a face cord include a rank and rack.
How Many Ricks of Firewood Do I Need?
The number of ricks you'll need will vary depending on how much firewood you burn. If you're hoping to warm your entire home this winter, a single rick may not suffice. Like a face cord, it's about one-third the size of a full cord. And while that's a decent amount of firewood, it's generally not enough to last all winter, especially if it's your primary source of heating fuel. Two or three ricks, on the other hand, is a substantial amount of firewood that should last a while. If you're going to buy three ricks, however, you may as well as buy a single face cord since it's the same amount but probably costs less.
Keep your fire pit, fireplace or stove burning all winter long by stocking up firewood. Cutting Edge Firewood offers a wide selection of firewood for sale. If you live outside of Georgia click the button below to order our online packages of firewood. All packages are delivered in racks to help you understand how much firewood you will be recieving.
